Revenue spendings may rise 17pc in next budgetRevenue budget -- both the revised one for this fiscal and the original one for the next fiscal -- may see an increase when Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman places the budget documents tomorrow before

Noose tightens on errant copsA total of 19,622 policemen were punished for their involvement in corruption and other criminal activities last year, up from 16,913 in 2001, according to police records.

&nbsp

5 corpns in the red owe banks Tk 10,450crFive state-run loss-making corporations owe Tk 10,449.9 crore to foreign financiers and local banks, according to a report of the Public Expenditure Review Commission (PERC).

Over 5,000 behind bars abroadMore than 5,000 Bangladeshis are behind bars and in concentration camps in 60 countries, said a report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) yesterday.

&nbsp

Sundarbans not Shell's targetShell Oil has no plan to conduct any geological survey on the Sundarbans because of environmental sensitivity at the World Heritage Site as well as lack of energy potentials there.

&nbsp

Grameen call charges to curve downGreat news for cell phone users! The largest cell phone company GrameenPhone (GP) is likely to slash call charges by 25 to 50 per cent, sources said.

UN HR body concerned at RAB formationThe United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) has expressed concern over formation of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and expressed the fear that this new force might have excessiveauthority

&nbsp

Market raid SuspendedA BDR-led taskforce drive in city markets was suspended yesterday following a meeting between the home minister and leaders of different shop owners' and jewellers' associations.

OPEC splits over potential production cutOPEC countries were split Tuesday over a potential cut in production to allow for Iraq coming back on stream, while non-OPEC Mexico said there was no need to tighten the tap.

Cricket:Squad to be finalised todayDav Whatmore will sit with the national selectors today to finalise a 15-man Bangladesh squad for the tour of Australia.

&nbsp

Cricket:Woolmer due here June 27Former South Africa coach Bob Woolmer will arrive in the city on June 27 on a five-day visit. The trip of has been arranged by the ICC in order to develop the game in the country.

&nbsp

Cricket:Flower flays PakistanAndy Flower showed Zimbabwe what they were missing as he hit a unbeaten 115 in Essex's 50 run victory over Pakistan in their one day match on Monday at Chelmsford.

&nbsp

Cricket:Anderson relishes itIf there was one defining moment in the astonishing rise of James Anderson from Lancashire second team seamer into an international star it would have been the last time he faced Pakistan's awesome line-up

&nbsp

Cricket:Woolmer slams SmithBob Woolmer, the former South African coach, launched a scathing attack on Graeme Smith, in response to his disparaging comments about Lance Klusener a week ago.

&nbsp

Cricket:Windies squad for final ODIThe West Indies Cricket Board on Monday announced a 15-man squad for the third one-day international against Sri Lanka at Arnos Vale in St. Vincent on Wednesday.

&nbsp

Cricket:Hall to quit as WICB bossThe Reverend Wes Hall will step down from his role as president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on health grounds within the next few days, according to a report in Barbados-based Sunday Sun newspaper.

&nbsp

Cricket:Azhar ready to step upEssex might not have been ready for Azhar Mahmood when he ripped through their line-up with figures of 6-37 on Sunday.

&nbsp

Tennis:One last Wimbledon?Wincing in pain, lacking match practice and deprived of his most potent weapon, Goran Ivanisevic is praying hard for one final fling at Wimbledon.

&nbsp

Tennis:Mixed day for big serversWith defending champion Lleyton Hewitt, crowd favourite Tim Henman and Andre Agassi not playing until Tuesday, top billing on the first day of the Queen's Club tournament fell to big-serving duo MarkPhilippoussis,

&nbsp

Football:Last mission before the breakEngland, Italy, Spain and Germany are in action on Wednesday as a marathon European season draws near to an end with 18 Euro 2004 qualifiers across the continent.

Brazil arrived in Nigeria for Wednesday's friendly international with only one goalkeeper after Fabio missed the plane from Sao Paulo on Sunday night, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said.

&nbsp

Football:Beckham flexibleEngland's favourite son, football star David Beckham, has for the first time indicated he would quit his beloved Manchester United team if he is no longer wanted there.

&nbsp

Football:'Qatar was a nightmare'Veteran Brazilian striker Romario spoke of his regret on Monday of his move to Qatar where he spent three months, was paid $1.2 million, played three games and failed to score a goal.

&nbsp

Football:Considerate Army!South Korea's star striker Ahn Jung-Hwan, undergoing military service, has been given a special dispensation to play in Wednesday's friendly international against Argentina.

Fakirhat AL president gunned downAtahar Ali, 60, president of Fakirhat upazila unit of Awami League and chairman of Bahirdia Union parishad under Bagerhat district was gunned down by unidentified miscreants in front of his residenceon

NON-GOVT TEACHERS DEMAND NEW PAY SCALEBangladesh College-University Teachers Association yesterday called for allocating necessary funds in the national budget to pay hundred per cent salary of non-government teachers and employees as per

&nbsp

'Two-thirds of MPs not politician'Former law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Abdul Matin Khoshru said corrupt people are occupying the parliament and they are directly or otherwise involved in violation of human rights.

&nbsp

Arrest of Mamtaz killers demandedBangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of the Awami League (AL), yesterday demanded immediate arrest and trial of the killers of Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, a former lawmaker and vice-president of Natore

7 AL, BCL leaders expelled in B'bariaSeven leaders of Awami League (AL) and its student front Chhatra League including district AL joint secretary Amanul Haque Chento have been expelled from the party.

Lines that linger on in the mindJaved Jalil, who is having his exhibition at Café Mango, says, "I went into painting seriously when I went to Los Angeles, USA, for various purposes, and in time got interested in painting.

&nbsp

A promising Tabla playerIt was in 1982, I got admitted to a music school and took lessons on Tabla " said Raju Chowdhury. After ten years or so, I got my first lesson from Pandit Bijan Kumar Chowdhury of Bangasree Shilpee Sangshad.

Iran challenges US to show nuke evidenceThe head of Iran's atomic energy body asserted yesterday that the country was not concealing any of its facilities from UN nuclear inspectors, and challenged the United States to back up accusations to

UN envoy says Suu Kyi is unhurtA UN envoy to Myanmar met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday and said she was uninjured and "in good spirits" but that work must go on for her release.

&nbsp

Pakistan blames India for delaying talksAccusing India for the delay in commencement of peace talks between the two countries, Pakistan on Monday said New Delhi should get its "act" together and "speak in one voice" to resume "unconditional"

5-party talks to resolve DPRK nuke impasseFive-party talks that will include Japan and South Korea will likely start in a month at the earliest in an attempt to make progress in finding a solution to problems raised by North Korea's nuclear weapons

The worst kind of inspirationThere seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding about one very simple fact: our life here on earth is transient and we pass on to something we don't know and don't understand.

&nbsp

The "manipulation" of intelligence?After the Iraq war, a debate has surfaced on whether Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush overstated their case for war based on manipulated and half-baked intelligence to support their own political agenda.

&nbsp

SQ Chowdhury, OIC and usThe OIC was formed after the 1967 war. The purpose of this Saudi funded organisation is to get back Jerusalem from Israel and claim it as the Palestinian capital.

Noble aims, one would think.

&nbsp

When warm hand shakes beliesThe Secretary Generals of two major political parties shook their hands in public in a seminar jointly organised by The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and CPD the other day.

The new-jungle order!Today we are witnessing people who claim to be "good" (as opposed to evil) and "civilised" are in fact busy taking their opportunity to make whatever they can out of Iraq.

&nbsp

Lebensraum of USAWeapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) were a mere pretext ("bureaucratic excuse") according to the Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

&nbsp

Remittance flow'Remittance flow clocks new record' by Monjur Mahmud narrated Bangladesh's reserve being 190 billion which I believe is a gross mistake. Wouldn't it be 1.

&nbsp

Under the banner of secularismThis is in reference to Ron Chepesiuk's article "As the axis of evil turns, Christian fundamentalists are at the gate" (DS, May 29) describing the overwhelming influence of fundamentalist Christians on

&nbsp

Drug businessOf all criminal activities that take place in our country, drug business is one of the most serious of them all.

&nbsp

"South Asian alliance"In reference to Mr. K. Wasimuddin's letter (June 6) on "South Asian Alliance", I like to add few things. What Mr.

&nbsp

Toss criminals out of politicsThe General Secretaries of the two largest political parties, ruling BNP and opposition AL recently expressed their willingness to discard criminals in the closing session of the National Policy Review

Cracking Info StrategyAN information strategy is essential for any organisation as it sets out the delivery mechanism, information flow and ownership of items such as text, data, voice, image and intelligence.

&nbsp

Software comes in aid of lab animalsIndian scientists have developed a computer programme for drug research designed to reduce the number of animals used in laboratory experiments.

&nbsp

Introducing wisdompinkpages.orgNow you can have access to information on any educational institute in Bangladesh from your computer. Wisdom Pink Pages, the first ever online education directory of Bangladesh is just a click away.

www.wisdompinkpages.

&nbsp

Running the next mile with youHP will continue its investment in consumer needs by unveiling new products on June 12 at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, says a press realese.

Babupura: accident or arson?Amina Begum left Sureshar village, in Faridpur district, before the liberation war in 1971 when the river Padma washed away the village.

&nbsp

Green dream of cityThe 'Tree Plantation Programme' will have hardly any impact on city dwellers, as there is little scope of plantation in the city due to the lack of free space.

&nbsp

The business of busesThe city of Dhaka is infamous for its traffic congestion. A significant part of this problem is attributed to the presence of such varied types of mechanized and non-mechanized vehicles on the streets.

&nbsp

Stage centre of dramaDhaka City Corporation has failed to achieve its aim of patronizing stage drama in the city because of the inappropriate design of the first purpose-built natya mancha (theatre stage) and the lack ofsecurity

&nbsp

Free mixing frowned uponThe students of Dhaka University are a privileged bunch, privileged in the sense that they can mingle together within a healthy atmosphere irrespective of their gender.

&nbsp

Budget bluesWhile the economists or policy makers of the country are pondering over the budget at Jatiya Sangsad (JS), the common mass are found to be unaware about it.